Belts and methods of use thereof

ABSTRACT

A belt for use by healthcare worker includes a strap to encompass a portion of the body of the worker to which a plurality of holders (or containers) is attached. The holders are preferably adapted to hold or containing various items that are often used by healthcare workers in the course of their routine. For example, at least one of the holders can be a pouch fabricated from a lightweight, durable and flexible material. Preferably, the entire belt is fabricated from a generally, lightweight, durable and flexible material. In addition to pouches, which can hold or contain items of various size, shape etc., one or more of the holders can be adapted to hold specific items. For example, at least one of the holder can be a bottle holder. A belt for use by a person requiring care, supervision or oversight (for example, a child or a patient of diminished capacity) includes a strap to encompass a portion of the body of the person. The belt has attached thereto a plurality of holders in which the patient can carry items. The entire belt can be fabricated from a generally, lightweight, durable and flexible material. Preferably, at least one of the holders is sufficiently transparent to allow others to identify the contents thereof. The belt further can also include at least one information tag. The information tag can for example provide patient identity and/or the identity of a facility in which the patient is being cared. The belt can also include at least one safety tag to facilitate viewing of the belt in reduced visibility conditions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/304,221, filed Nov. 26, 2002, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/333,633,filed Nov. 27, 2001, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to item holders, belts or aprons and tomethods of use thereof, and, especially, to item holders, belts oraprons for use in the healthcare industry, in the outdoor or sportingindustries and/or by children and to methods of using such belts oraprons.

Personnel in the healthcare industry such as nurses, nurse's aids andothers must have at their quick disposal many different items. Forexample, spray-bottles of disinfectant, wipes, facial tissues, papertowels and various first-aid items are used frequently. Typically, suchitems are stored at many locations in a healthcare facility in anattempt to provide quick access. However, valuable healthcare facilitypersonnel time is wasted in constantly searching for and retrieving suchoften used items.

Additionally, health-care professionals that care for Alzheimer'spatients and other patients having reduced capacity must constantlyretrieve items that are collected by patients. In that regard, one ofthe symptoms or behaviors of Alzheimer's patients is to collect variousitems and place such items in their pockets or elsewhere. Young children(whether healthy or ill) often display similar behavior.

It is very desirable to develop devices and methods to facilitate thework of healthcare professionals as well as to facilitate the care ofAlzheimer's patients and children.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a belt for use by, forexample, a healthcare worker. The belt includes a strap to encompass aportion of the body of the worker to which a plurality of holders (orcontainers) is attached. The holders are preferably adapted to hold orcontaining various items that are often used by healthcare workers inthe course of their routine. For example, at least one of the holderscan be a pouch fabricated from a lightweight, durable and flexiblematerial. The material(s) of the belt can also be water resistant orwaterproof as known in the art. The materials can also be readilywashable (by hand or machine). The pouch or pocket can be opened on thetop or be closable (for example, via a flap securable with ahook-and-loop type fastener). Preferably, substantially the entire beltis fabricated from a generally, lightweight, durable and flexiblematerial. Likewise, the material(s) of substantially the belt can alsobe water resistant or waterproof and washable as known in the art.

In addition to pouches, which can hold or contain items of various size,shape etc., one or more of the holders can be adapted to hold specificitems. For example, at least one of the holders can be a bottle holder.In general, such bottle holders have a generally cylindrical opening onthe top thereof and are otherwise adapted (for example, by the shapethereof) to hold generally cylindrical bottles. Likewise, one or moreholder can be thin and elongated to, for example, hold correspondinglyshaped implements such as pens, pencils and thermometers.

The belt preferably further includes a connector to secure the beltaround a worker. Preferably, the connector is readily releasable by theworker.

The belts of the present invention are not limited to use by healthcareworkers. In general, the belts of the present invention are suited foruse by any individual desiring to have at their quick disposal apersonal storage or holding belt suitable to store any number ofdifferent items for quick and generally unobstructed access. Forexample, the belts of the present invention can be of particular use inoutdoor sporting and recreational activities such as hiking.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a belt for use by achild, a patient of diminished capacity (as, for example, compared to anaverage adult), or another person requiring care, supervision oroversight. The belt includes a strap to encompass a portion of the bodyof the person. The belt has attached thereto a plurality of holders inwhich the patient can carry items. Substantially, the entire belt can befabricated from a generally, lightweight, durable and flexible material.The material(s) of the belt can also be water resistant, waterproofand/or readily washable (by hand or machine) as known in the art.

Preferably, at least one of the holders is sufficiently transparent or“open” to allow others to identify the contents thereof. The belt canalso include at least one information tag. The information tag can, forexample, provide patient/individual identity and/or the identity of afacility in which the patient/individual is being cared. The belt canalso include at least one safety tag to facilitate viewing of the beltin reduced visibility conditions. Likewise, a the belt can include acommunication device (which can be fixed or removable) to, for example,assist in locating an individual or providing one- or two-waycommunications.

The belt also preferably includes a fastening mechanism to retain thebelt on the person. Preferably, the fastening or connecting mechanismcannot be opened or is somewhat difficult to open by the person wearingthe belt. The fastening mechanism can, for example, be on the back ofthe person when the person wears the belt.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of caring fora person requiring care, supervision or oversight (for example, a personof diminished capacity) including the step of providing the person witha belt having a strap to encompass a portion of the body of the person,the belt further having attached thereto a plurality of holders in whichthe patient can store items as described above.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method offacilitating access of a healthcare worker to items including the stepof providing a healthcare worker with a belt including a strap toencompass a portion of the body of a healthcare worker. The belt hasattached thereto a plurality of holders in which the items can be placedas described above.

In still another aspect, the present invention provides an item holderto be worn by a person, including: a flexible strap to encompass thewaist of the person. The ends of the strap include a first connectorsection and a cooperating second connector section attachable to thefirst connector section. The belt includes flexible base extending fromthe strap. The base has attached thereto a plurality of holders asdescribed above.

Although various utility or tool belts have been developed over theyears for use, for example, by repairmen and construction personnel,belts adapted to hold various items have not been used in the healthcareindustry and in other areas of use in which a longfelt need exists.Heavy belts having little flexibility, such as used by repairmen andconstruction personnel have little utility in the healthcare field. Asdescribed above, however, belts constructed of generally lightweight,durable and flexible material(s) that are equipped with holders to holdor contain various items can be used to great advantage by, for example,healthcare workers, recreational and sporting personnel and certainpatients, children or others requiring care, supervision or oversight.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a healthcare professional wearing one embodiment ofa belt of the present invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates the belt of FIG. 1A opened on a flat surface.

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of a belt of the present inventionfor use by a healthcare professional

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a belt of the present invention foruse by a patient of diminished mental capacity

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a belt of the present invention foruse by a child.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate one embodiment of the present inventionproviding a belt or apron 10 for use, for example, by a healthcareprofessional 5 (for example, a nurse, nurse's aid, orderly etc.). Belt10 includes a fastening mechanism 20 which can, for example, include abuckle 22. Other fastening mechanisms such as snaps, ties and VELCRO®(that is, a hook-and-loop type fastening mechanism) can also be used.Preferably, fastening mechanism 20 is positioned on belt 10 so that itis positioned on the side of healthcare professional 5 when worn tofacilitate access thereto.

Belt 10 preferably includes a plurality of containers or holders toenable healthcare professional 5 to carry any number of frequently useditems on their person. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B, belt 10includes, for example, a holder or holster 30 for carrying a bottle orsimilar container 32 (for example, a disinfectant spray bottle). Belt 10also includes pouches 40 and 50 in which healthcare professional 5 cancarry various items such as antiseptic wipes, tissues, bandages, combsetc. Belt 10 further includes one or more flapped pouches 60 forcarrying items, for example, personal effects (such as watches, wallets,keys etc.) and other items, requiring additional security. Flap 62 ofpouch 60 can, for example, be secured with a fastening mechanism 64 suchas VELCRO. Belt 10 can also include one or more tags 70 that can includeprinted material such as the identity of healthcare professional 5and/or the name of the healthcare facility. Belt 10 can also include afastener or connector such as openable D-Ring 80 which is attached tobelt 10 via a loop of material 82. Fastener 80 can, for example, beopenable and closeable via a clasp 84 or other mechanism for connectionof items including a fastening ring, loop or other device. For example,a key chain can be securely attached to fastener 80.

Belt 10 and/or containers, pouches, holsters or holders 30, 40, 50, 60and 80 are preferably fabricated from lightweight, strong, flexible anddurable material(s) such as denim, nylon, GORE-TEX (available from W. L.Gore & Associates, Inc.), or a canvas material, that can withstand thedaily wear experienced in a healthcare facility, but do not hamper themobility or otherwise disrupt the routine of the healthcare worker. Thematerial(s) of the belt can also be water resistant or waterproof(either inherently or via a coating or treatment) as known in the art.The materials are preferably readily washable (by hand or machine). Partor all of containers, pockets, pouches, holsters or holders 30, 40, 50,60 and 80 can also include an elastomeric material to assist in placingitems therein and/or retaining items therein.

The belts of the present invention can be equipped with any number oftypes and sizes of holders, pouches and/or containers for use byhealthcare professionals and others. For example, at least one ofpockets or pouches 40, 50 and 60 can be relatively wide (for example,approximately 5, 6 or more inches) and relatively deep (for example,approximately 5, 6 or more inches) to provide easy access and space forstorage of relatively large or oddly shaped articles. Moreover, inaddition to container holder 30 and pockets or pouches 40, 50 and 60,belt 10 can also include relatively narrow, elongated holders 90 a and90 b for holding correspondingly shaped items such as pens, pencilsand/or thermometers.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B, belt 10 includes a length ofstrapping or belting 12 encompassing the waist of the user. A length ofbase material 14 is attached to hang or extend downward from strap 12.Base 14 is preferably of sufficient width w to act as a base forattachment of pouches, pockets, containers, and/or holders such asdescribed above. For example, container holder 30 and pouches 40, 50 and60 can be attached to base 12 via stitching around at least a portion ofthe periphery thereof. Base 12 can form the rear or back side ofcontainer holder 30 and pouches 40, 50 and 60 of belt 10. As set forthabove, base 14 can be fabricated from water resistant, waterproof and/orreadily washable (by hand or machine) material(s) as known in the art

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of a belt 110 of similarconstruction to belt 10. Belt 110 includes two holders or holsters 130 aand 130 b for bottles, three open pouches 140 a, 140 b and 150 ofvarious size and one flapped pouch 160. Holster 130 a is fabricated fromgenerally orthogonally oriented straps while holster 130 b is fabricatedform a netting material (for example, nylon netting). Holsters 130 a and130 b can include elastic material 132 a and 132 b around the openingthereof to help retain items therein. Like belt 10, belt 110 includes aside-fastening buckle or connector 122 and one or more information tags170 for imprinted or electronically- or magnetically-encodedinformation. Preferably, buckle or other connector 122 is easilyfastened and released by the user. However, connector 122 preferablyprovides substantial resistance to disconnection or unfastening duringnormal use. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, connector 122 includes prongs122 a and 122 b which bend inwardly (that is, toward the centerline ofbelt 110) to connect to a cooperating receptacle 122 c. Once connected,prongs 122 a and 122 b are released and flex outwardly to form a secureconnection with receptacle 122 c. Connectors of the type of connector122 are used commonly, for example, in seating restraints for children.

FIG. 3 illustrates an item holder or belt 210 of the present inventionthat is suitable for use with a patient suffering from diminished mentalcapacity, such as an Alzheimer's patient. As discussed above,Alzheimer's patients in certain stages of the disease are known to actlike “packrats” in that they accumulate items they encounter during theday in their pockets and elsewhere. Sometimes, pants and other clothingare ruined by such behavior. Moreover, items than can be dangerous tothe patient are sometimes taken. Belt 210 includes a plurality ofpouches or containers 230 a-230 e in which a patient can store itemscollected during the day.

Preferably, pouches 230 a-230 e are made of a material that is durableand leak proof. Most preferably, pouches 230 a-230 e are made of amaterial that is also sufficiently transparent or “open” to enablehealthcare and/or other personnel to view what the patient has collectedin pouches 230 a-230 e. An example of a suitable material for pouches230 a-230 e is a strong, flexible and transparent polymeric materialsuch as visquene or other such polymeric materials as known in the art.One or more of pouches 230 a-230 e also be fabricated from a netting,strapping or other material that includes openings that allow viewing ofthe contents thereof. In FIG. 3, pouch or pocket 230 d is, for example,shown to be fabricated from an “open” netting material. Allowinghealthcare and other personnel to view what the patient has collected inpouches 230 a-230 e enables such personnel to remove items of which thepatient should not be in possession. For example, a patient may havepicked up a wallet or keys of a staff healthcare professional. Moreover,a patient may have picked up a dangerous item such as a kitchen knife240 as illustrated in pouch 230 a.

Belt 210 preferably includes a fastening mechanism such as a buckle 220.Buckle 220 can be positioned to fasten behind the back of the patient toprevent the patient from removing belt 210 or to at least make itdifficult for the patient to remove belt 210. Moreover, a connector thatis inherently difficult to remove by one of diminished capacity (forexample, a connector such as connector 122 of FIG. 2) can be used. Acommunication device or locater 290 such as a radio frequencytransponder as known in the art can be attached to belt 210 or otherbelts of the present invention to, for example, assist in locating anindividual or to provide one- or two-way communications.

Belt 210 preferably further includes an information tag or tags 270 thatcan include printed or encoded (for example, magnetically orelectronically) information. For example, patient identity, facilityidentity/location and/or medical information can be included on tag(s)270. Although, great care is taken to prevent patients from wonderingaway from care facilities, patients wonder away form even the best ofsuch care facilities. Providing information tag(s) 270 helps to identifythe patient as a patient of a care facility and facilitates return andcare of a patient that has wondered off the premises. Moreover, belt 210also preferably includes safety strips or tags 280 that can include areflective, retroreflective, illuminescent or other similarlyfunctioning material to facilitate visibility of the patient even inpoor visibility conditions.

The belts of the present invention are also well suited for use bychildren of various ages. Like the patients described above, childrenoften act as packrats and can collect items that can, for example, ruinclothing or that the child should not have. FIG. 4 illustrates a belt310 that is similar to belt 210, but is for use with children.

Belt 310 includes a plurality of flapped and/or unflapped pouches 330a-330 e that are preferably made of a material that is durable and leakproof. Most preferably, pouches 330 a-330 e are made of a material thatis also sufficiently transparent to enable parents and others to viewwhat the child has collected

Belt 310 preferably includes a fastening mechanism such as a buckle 320.Buckle 320 can be positioned or adapted to hinder the child fromremoving belt 310 as discussed above in connection with belt 210.

Like belt 210, belt 310 preferably further includes an information tagor tags 370 that can include printed or encoded (for example,magnetically or electronically) information including, for example,identity, contact information and medical information. Belt 310 alsopreferably includes safety strips or tags 380 as discussed above tofacilitate visibility of the patient even in poor visibility conditions.

Item holders or belts 10, 110, 210 and/or 310 of the present inventioncan be readily adapted or modified for use in generally any type ofendeavor. The pockets, pouches, holders and other containers of thebelts of the present invention can be made to be of generally anydimension to accommodate a particular use. Moreover, the item holders orbelts of the present invention are attractive to wear, lightweight,flexible and generally unobtrusive. The belts can readily be fabricatedin any color or be multicolored. Indeed, children and adults ofdiminished capacity (for example, Alzheimer patients) may prefer and beattracted to multicolored, striking item holders or belts of the presentinvention, and thus be more willing to wear them.

Although the present invention has been described in detail inconnection with the above examples, it is to be understood that suchdetail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be made bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of theinvention except as it may be limited by the following claims.

1. A belt comprising a strap to encompass a portion of the body of aworker, the belt having attached thereto a plurality of holders, atleast one of the holders comprising a mechanism to the removably attachkeys thereto, the belt further comprising a connector placed on the beltrelative to the plurality of holders so that the connector is positionedon the side of the body of the work and the plurality of holders arereadily accessible by the worker.
 2. The belt of claim 1 wherein atleast one of the holders is a pouch fabricated from a lightweight,durable and flexible material.
 3. The belt of claim 1 wherein at leastone of the holders is a bottle holder.
 4. The belt of claim 1 whereinthe connector is a hook-and-loop type connector.
 5. The belt of claim 1wherein the connector is readily releasable.
 6. The item holder of claim1 wherein the belt and the holders are water resistant or waterproof. 7.The item holder of claim 1 wherein the belt is fabricated fromlightweight, durable and flexible material.
 8. The item holder of claim1 wherein at least one of the holders is an elongated pouch adapted tohold a pen or a pencil.
 9. The belt of claim 1 further comprising aninformation tag comprising identification information.
 10. A belt foruse by a person of diminished capacity and requiring care, supervisionor oversight, the belt comprising: a strap to encompass a portion of thebody of the person, the belt having attached thereto a plurality ofholders in which the person can carry items, the belt further comprisinga fastening mechanism to retain the belt on the person that providessubstantial resistance to being unfastened by the person of diminishedcapacity and a communication device operable as a locater to assist inlocating the person of diminished capacity.
 11. The belt of claim 10wherein at least one of the holders allows others to identify thecontents thereof.
 12. The belt of claim 10 further including at leastone information tag.
 13. The belt of claim 12 wherein the informationtag provides individual identity and identity of a facility in which thepatient is being cared.
 14. The belt of claim 1 wherein at least aportion of the at least one of the holders that allows others toidentify the content thereof is transparent.
 15. The belt of claim 10wherein the belt and the holders are waterproof.
 16. The belt of claim15 wherein the fastening mechanism is positioned on the back of theperson when wearing the belt.
 17. The belt of claim 10 furthercomprising a communication device to provide two-way communication. 18.The item holder of claim 10 wherein at least one of the holders is apouch fabricated from a lightweight, durable and flexible material. 19.A method of caring for a person of diminished capacity requiring care,supervision or oversight including the step of providing the person witha belt having a a strap to encompass a portion of the body of theperson, the belt having attached thereto a plurality of holders in whichthe person can carry items, the belt further comprising a fasteningmechanism to retain the belt on the person that provides substantialresistance to being unfastened by the person of diminished capacity anda communication device operable as a locater to assist in locating theperson of diminished capacity.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein atleast one of the holders is sufficiently transparent to allow others toidentify the contents thereof.